-
Anniston votes to dissolve, will be property of Mississippi County (4/8/24)ANNISTON — By a vote of 37 in favor and three opposed, residents of Anniston decided to dissolve the municipality during Mississippi County’s municipal election Tuesday, April 2. ...
-
Analysis: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s election (4/4/24)Elections on Tuesday, April 2, focused on municipal offices and local and school referendums. The results captured a snapshot of the electorate. What does that picture show? ...
-
Updated: Property tax increase fails in Cape; Pierce wins Ward 5 (4/4/24)Cape Girardeau’s proposed municipal property tax increase for public safety personnel salaries failed to pass, and Rhett Pierce won the Ward 5 City Council seat against incumbent Shannon Truxel during municipal voting Tuesday, April 2. ...
-
Updated: Voters reject Jackson school proposition (4/4/24)Jackson School District patrons rejected a property tax measure to increase spending on personnel in the general municipal election Tuesday, April 2. ...
-
Schweiss wins PCMH board position, Perry County residents vote down sales tax increase (4/4/24)Gwen Schweiss has earned a seat on the Perry County Memorial Hospital board of trustees, defeating her opponent Chris Francis by just under 400 votes during the general municipal election Tuesday, April 2. ...
-
Scott County voters approve law enforcement sales tax (4/3/24)BENTON — Voters in Scott County approved a countywide half-cent law enforcement sales tax during the Tuesday, April 2, municipal election...
-
Wiginton reelected mayor of Marble Hill (4/3/24)MARBLE HILL — Trey Wiginton has been reelected mayor of Marble Hill. Wiginton, who has served as mayor for the last four years, received 89 votes as a write-in candidate. Opponent Charley Neeley received 39 votes..
-
Gary Senciboy resigns as Oran mayor to focus on bid for state House seat (4/1/24)Oran native Gary Senciboy is leaving small-town government behind with his sights set on a seat in Jefferson City. Senciboy recently resigned from his position as the mayor of Oran and filed to run for the soon-to-be vacant District 148 seat — currently held by state Rep. Jamie Burger who is running for state Senate — in the Missouri House of Representatives. ...
-
Longtime banker Ronnie Maxwell running for county treasurer (3/28/24)Ronnie Maxwell, assistant vice president at First State Community Bank (FSCB) in Jackson, is running for the position of Cape Girardeau County treasurer. “This has been 20 years in the making … not just working for the county, but specifically for the treasurer’s position,” Maxwell said. “This is the job I’ve always wanted to do.” ...
-
Embattled Cape Girardeau County coroner seeks reelection amid legal turmoil (3/28/24)Suspended Cape Girardeau County Coroner Wavis Jordan is running for reelection amid efforts by the Missouri attorney general to oust him from office. Jordan added his name to the list of candidates seeking office before filing deadline Tuesday, March 26. ...
-
Vivek Malek launches campaign for full term as state treasurer (3/26/24)Missouri state Treasurer Vivek Malek returned to Cape Girardeau on Monday, March 25, holding the first of several events in his campaign for election at Cape Girardeau City Hall. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Malek to the role in December 2022 when then-Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick was elected State Auditor. Malek took office Jan. 2, 2023. ...
-
Voters to consider Scott County Rural Fire no-tax-rate-increase bond issue (3/25/24)BLODGETT — The Scott County Rural Fire Protection District is seeking citizens' support in the Tuesday, April 2, election. With Proposition Safety, the district seeks approval for a $1.65 million no-tax-rate-increase general obligation bond issue to improve the district...
-
Democratic candidate Michael Davis to challenge for District 147 seat (3/12/24)Navy veteran, Methodist pastor and small-business owner Michael Davis has thrown his hat in the ring as a Democratic candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives District 147 seat. ...
-
Stephen Daume joins Cape Girardeau County Commission race (3/7/24)Livestock specialist Stephen Daume is running for the 1st District Cape Girardeau County commission position, joining several other Republicans competing for the party’s spot after the Tuesday, Aug. 6, primary election. Daume owns a 600-acre soybean farm and has spent the last 20 years working with MFA Inc., a Missouri-based cooperative supply company. ...
-
Bridging the divide: SEMO’s Gen Z leaders rewrite political playbook (3/7/24)In the midst of a divided political landscape where divisions often overshadow cooperation, an alliance is taking shape at Southeast Missouri State University, signaling a shift in the traditional playbook of politics. In an event set to rewrite the norms of campus engagement, College Democrats and College Republicans have set aside their ideological differences to forge a path of civic responsibility. ...
-
Dwayne Kirchhoff running for Cape County Commissioner (3/6/24)Former school board member and firefighter Dwayne Kirchhoff has entered the race for 1st District Cape Girardeau County Commissioner as a Republican. Kirchhoff is a lifelong Cape Girardeau County resident. His family's roots in the county stretch back to 1844...
-
Jackson alderman Dave Reiminger joins Cape Girardeau County commission race (3/6/24)Dave Reiminger, a longtime member on the Jackson Board of Aldermen, is running for the 1st District Cape Girardeau County commissioner position. "I believe that in 30 years as a city alderman in Jackson, it provides me with the leadership, in a lot of cases dealing with the associate commission position," Reiminger said...
-
Private investigator John Mackey runs for Cape Girardeau County coroner (3/6/24)Burfordville private investigator John Mackey, a Republican, has joined the race for Cape Girardeau County coroner. Mackey is a former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and a combat medic with the Missouri Army National Guard...
-
Chad Armstrong joins Cape Girardeau County coroner race (3/5/24)Chad Armstrong, an emergency medical physician from Jackson, has entered the race for the Cape Girardeau County coroner position as a Republican. “Dealing with the emergency medical aspect as well as the first responders, it felt like there definitely needed to be a change,” Armstrong said. “Looking into the qualifications that are needed, or the lack thereof, I felt like it was something that I could bring a positive impact to the county.” ...
-
Bridges in Scott County in major need of repairs, presiding commissioner says (3/4/24)BENTON — Many bridges in Scott County are either condemned or in an unsafe condition, and Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley emphasized his concerns and the importance of repairing the bridges. Tetley said one of the county's currently condemned bridges, located off County Road 468, was built in 1962. Tetley said the bridge, along with other old bridges in the county, has deteriorated over time...
-
Cape Girardeau school board election forum to be next month (2/29/24)The Cape Girardeau Public Schools Community Teachers Association (CTA) will host a forum at 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, at Cape Central High School’s Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall to give the public insight into candidates running for a seat on the Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education. ...
-
Election filing open for Scott County offices (2/29/24)Filing for political office in Scott County opened Tuesday, Feb. 27, for the Tuesday, Aug. 6, primary election. Candidates who filed for offices are all registered as Republicans. The offices are associate commissioner District 1 and District 2, sheriff, assessor, public administrator and coroner. ...
-
Perry County election filing open (2/29/24)Filing for political office in Perry County opened Tuesday, Feb. 27, for the Tuesday, Aug. 6, primary election. All the candidates who filed for offices registered as Republicans. The offices are associate commissioner District 1 and District 2, sheriff, assessor, public administrator, coroner and surveyor. ...
-
What to know about the upcoming presidential candidate selections (2/22/24)As the 2024 presidential election nears, the candidate selection process in Missouri is changing. In 2022, the Missouri General Assembly voted to eliminate the presidential preference primary, leaving each political party to bear the costs of choosing its standard-bearer. The legislature attempted to reverse this decision in 2023, but gridlock in the Senate resulted in the legislation falling short.
-
State Rep. Chris Dinkins announces bid for Missouri Senate (2/22/24)A state representative has announced her candidacy for the District 27 state Senate seat. Rep. Chris Dinkins, a Republican from Lesterville who represents District 144 in the state House, said "an overwhelming outpouring of support" during an exploratory period prompted her to seek the seat. ...
-
Fighting continues in Missouri Senate over initiative petition reform (2/20/24)Since the start of the 102nd General Assembly, the Missouri Senate has been mostly stuck in neutral. Between in-fighting among Republicans and multiple filibusters staged by members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus — a conservative group made up of 11 state legislators across both chambers — and the Democratic Party, the Senate has been held up for weeks because of one major issue: initiative petition reform. ...
-
Scott County Clerk’s Office will mail new voter ID cards (2/16/24)BENTON — The office of Scott County Clerk Allen Seabaugh will be mailing new voter identification cards to Scott County registered voters within the next week. “The card will list your name, address, polling place, precinct, and districts in which you are entitled to vote,” Seabaugh said in a news release issued Wednesday, Feb. 14. “Voters should carefully check their card and contact the County Clerk’s Office with any questions or concerns.” ...
-
Missouri high court upholds voting districts drawn for state Senate (2/15/24)JEFFERSON CITY — A divided Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld voting districts drawn for the state Senate, rejecting a legal challenge claiming mapmakers should have placed a greater emphasis on keeping communities intact. The high court's 5-2 decision means the districts, first used in the 2022 elections, will remain in place, both for this year's elections and ensuing ones...
-
Republican effort to restore abortion rights in Missouri folds (2/9/24)JEFFERSON CITY — A Republican-led campaign to restore abortion rights in Missouri ended Thursday, clearing the path for a competing, more sweeping constitutional amendment to get on the state’s November ballot. “Having two initiatives on the ballot would create confusion and potentially split the vote,” Missouri Women and Family Research Fund executive director Jamie Corley said in a statement. ...
-
Frank Miller announces bid for 32nd Circuit judgeship (2/5/24)Associate Circuit Judge Frank E. Miller of Cape Girardeau announced Sunday, Feb. 4, a campaign for the Division II circuit judge position of the 32nd Judicial Circuit. Miller has served as Division III associate circuit judge since 2019 in the circuit that serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. He has also served as a prosecutor in Cape Girardeau County and a special prosecutor in Bollinger and Perry counties...
-
Scott County commissioners put sales tax issue on April ballot (2/5/24)BENTON — The Scott County Courthouse is 112 years old and in a serious state of disrepair in multiple places. Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley detailed the various repairs needed for the courthouse. "Our courthouse is 112 years old now, and we have some exterior brick work that is going to have to be completed because we have crumblings that are starting to fall from the top of the building," Tetley said...
-
Four candidates run for Cape Girardeau City Council seats in April election (2/2/24)Four people are running for three seats on Cape Girardeau City Council, with the municipal election set Tuesday, April 2. Ward 3 Councilman Nate Thomas is running unopposed for the seat he holds on the council. David J. Cantrell is running unopposed for the Ward 4 council seat currently held by Councilman Robbie Guard. Guard cannot run again because of term limits...
-
Missouri Republicans are split over changes to state Senate districts (2/2/24)JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s high court entertained arguments Thursday on whether to force changes to the state’s Senate districts in a case that has divided majority-party Republicans over how to apply new voter-approved redistricting criteria. ...
-
Five candidates compete for Jackson School District seats; Cape Girardeau incumbents face sole opponent (1/30/24)Jackson School District and Cape Girardeau Public Schools each have two open seats to fill in the upcoming general municipal election Tuesday, April 2. Five candidates will vie for Jackson's openings, including incumbent Sheila King. The district's other incumbent whose seat will be voted on, Kelly Waller, will not run for reelection...
-
Missouri's professional sports teams launch petition drive to put sports betting on November ballot (1/15/24)JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri's professional sports teams announced Friday that they have launched an initiative petition drive to put the legalization of sports betting on the November ballot. The initiative is an attempt to sidestep the Missouri Senate, where bills to allow sports betting have repeatedly stalled. Missouri is one of just a dozen states where sports wagering remains illegal more than five years after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states to adopt it...
-
Filing open for two Jackson School District Board of Education positions (12/14/23)Filing for candidates to run for two seats on the Jackson School District Board of Education opened Dec. 5. According to a public notice in the Southeast Missourian, qualified people interested in running in the general election Tuesday, April 2, must file to be a candidate at the district's Board of Education Office at 614 East Adams St. in Jackson...
-
Jackson school board calls for tax levy to retain teachers (12/14/23)The Jackson School District Board of Education called for superintendent Scott Smith to draw up language for a 47-cent tax levy to be considered for placement on the general election ballot in April. Smith reported to the board that Jackson School District is struggling to hire and retain teachers because other districts are able to offer higher wages. To begin to compete with similar districts, Smith proposed a 10% wage increase over the next two school years...
-
Republican Bob Onder enters state's lieutenant governor race (12/13/23)Bob Onder, a former Missouri state senator and representative, visited Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, Dec. 12, as part of his campaign kickoff for the lieutenant governor position. The Augusta, Missouri, physician previously served one term in the state House and two in the state Senate. For this campaign, he positioned himself as being more conservative than the competition...
-
Filing for two Cape Girardeau school board positions opens (12/5/23)Filing for candidates to run for two seats on the Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education opens Tuesday, Dec. 5. According to a public notice on the CGPS website, chs.capetigers.com, qualified people interested in running in the general election Tuesday, April 2, must file to be a candidate at the district's Central Administration Office at 301 N. Clark Ave. in Cape Girardeau...
-
Steve Stroder running for Jackson alderman position (11/27/23)Jackson resident Steve Stroder has announced he intends to run for the city's Board of Aldermen to represent the Ward 4. "I grew up in Jackson and the first 26 years of my life I spent in Jackson," Stroder said. "I grew to really love the community that was built by the leaders of Jackson all the way back then. I always looked up to those guys and ladies and felt like we had an amazing community."...
-
Missouri Supreme Court deals blow to secretary of state's ballot language on abortion (11/22/23)The Missouri Supreme Court has turned away an appeal about how to word a ballot question on access to abortion in the state. Missouri lawmakers have already banned abortion except in cases of medical emergency, but proponents of broader access to the procedure are seeking to put a question about it directly before voters next year. ...
-
Missouri's voter ID law is back in court. Here's a look at what it does (11/20/23)COLUMBIA, Mo. — A trial for a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Missouri's new photo identification requirement for voters began Friday. Here is a look at the function of the law and why voting rights groups are suing: Missouri's GOP-led Legislature last year capped off a nearly two-decade-long push by Republicans and passed a law requiring voters to show photo identification to cast a regular ballot...
-
Scott County voters reject countywide sales tax (11/9/23)BENTON, Mo. — Scott County voters rejected a new countywide sales tax during the special election Tuesday, Nov. 7. The vote total was 904 "no" votes to 807 "yes" votes. On Tuesday's ballot, voters were asked to impose a countywide sales tax of one-half percent to generate revenue to help fund the county's road and bridge improvements, employee salaries and benefits, building and grounds upkeep and build reserves...
-
Sikeston residents vote down alcohol by the drink Tuesday (11/9/23)SIKESTON, Mo. — Sikeston residents rejected the question asking voters to allow the sale of alcohol by the drink during the special election Tuesday, Nov. 7. In a total vote of 401 "no" votes to 328 "yes" votes, the measure failed. In Scott County, there were 297 "yes" votes and 366 "no" votes. New Madrid County vote totals were 31 "yes" votes and 35 "no" votes...
-
Scott County voters to decide on new sales tax (11/6/23)BENTON, Mo. — Voters in Scott County will be asked to approve a half-cent countywide sales tax when they step up to the polls during the Tuesday, Nov. 7, election. Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley said he and fellow commissioners, Donnie Kiefer and Terry Cole, have been evaluating the county's revenue and needs because of the rising costs of operations and the need for competitive salaries for employees...
-
Sikeston residents to vote on sale of liquor by the drink on Tuesday's ballot (11/6/23)SIKESTON, Mo. — Sikeston voters will decide Tuesday, Nov. 7, on whether to allow the sale of liquor by the drink. On July 31, Sikeston City Council members approved an ordinance calling for an election to allow the sale of liquor by the drink in excess of 5%...
-
St. Louis County prosecutor drops U.S. Senate bid, will instead oppose Bush in House race (10/31/23)ST. LOUIS — St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced Monday he will drop his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in 2024, and will instead make a run at a fellow Democrat — U.S. Rep. Cori Bush. Bell, 48, will oppose Bush in the 2024 Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st Congressional District seat that covers St. ...
-
Senate candidate Lucas Kunce visits Cape Girardeau (10/30/23)Lucas Kunce, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, held a town hall meeting Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Laborers International Union hall in Cape Girardeau. ...
-
Longtime Jackson Alderman Joe Bob Baker to retire (10/26/23)For the third successive election in Jackson, an incumbent will be leaving the Board of Aldermen in the Cape Girardeau County seat city. Ward 4 Alderman Joe Bob Baker told the Southeast Missourian on Wednesday, Oct. 25, he will not stand for reelection next year...
-
Bryant Wolfin makes second bid for General Assembly, District 145 (10/24/23)Businessman Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, is making a second bid for the state Legislature — this time running for the 2024 GOP nomination for House District 145, which must be vacated by incumbent term-limited Perryville Republican Rep. Rick Francis...
-
Democratic candidate for governor visits Cape Girardeau (9/26/23)Crystal Quade, Democratic Party candidate for governor and Missouri House minority leader, poses for a photo Saturday, Sept. 23, in Cape Girardeau. ...
-
Judge rewrites Missouri ballot summary on abortions (9/26/23)COLUMBIA, Mo. — A Missouri judge tossed Republican-written ballot summary language Monday that described several proposed constitutional amendments as allowing "dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth." Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem rewrote the ballot summary to describe the language as establishing the "right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraception," as well as undoing the state's almost total ban on abortions...
-
Cape Girardeau City Council election season starts Sept. 25 (8/29/23)Want to serve on Cape Girardeau City Council? The election process will soon begin. Nominating petitions for 2024 election for Wards 3, 4 and 5 will be available in the Office of the City Clerk starting Monday, Sept. 25. Candidates must have the petitions signed by at least 50 voters registered in their ward...
-
Local party leaders react to Ohio constitution vote (8/10/23)Andy Leighton of Cape Girardeau, leader of Cape Girardeau County Democratic Central Committee, said "it seems like no surprise" Ohio voters rejected Issue 1 on the Buckeye State's ballot Tuesday, Aug. 8. If approved, the initiative would have raised the level of votes needed to OK state constitutional amendments. The failure of Issue 1 keeps in place a simple majority threshold for passing future such amendments in Ohio, which, like Missouri, is considered a "red," or Republican, state...
-
Sikeston voters to decide tax issues during Tuesday election (8/7/23)SIKESTON, Mo. — Some area voters will decide tax questions during the Tuesday, Aug. 8, primary election. Voters in the City of Sikeston will decide whether to renew a 1% sales tax. The official ballot language reads: "Shall the City of Sikeston continue a city sales tax of 1% that will expire Sept. 30, 2034? This is a renewal of an existing tax, not a new tax."...
-
Lieutenant governor candidate Thompson Rehder files campaign report (7/27/23)With the Aug. 6, 2024, Republican primary a little more than a year away, state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder's nascent campaign for Missouri lieutenant governor has thus far raised $208,056.65, according to a July 17 filing with Missouri Ethics Commission by Friends of Holly Rehder...
-
State lawmaker Chris Dinkins mulls seeking Senate seat held by Thompson Rehder (7/24/23)Calling herself a "constitutional conservative Republican", state House Rep. Chris Dinkins of Lesterville, Missouri, has launched an exploratory committee for a possible 2024 run for state Senate District 27. Incumbent GOP Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City announced July 11 she will run for lieutenant governor next year...
-
Turner to make bid for Thompson Rehder seat (7/14/23)Jacob Turner of Jackson has thrown his hat in the ring in a 2024 bid to succeed District 27 state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City. District 27 incorporates the following Missouri counties: Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, Reynolds and Scott...
-
Missouri lawmaker May enters race for US Senate seat held by Hawley (7/13/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Sen. Karla May is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri, the St. Louis Democrat announced Tuesday in her hometown. May is vying for the Democratic nomination against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and Marine veteran Lucas Kunce...
-
Holly Thompson Rehder announces bid for state lieutenant governor (7/12/23)Republican Holly Thompson Rehder, a senator in the state's 27th district, which includes Cape Girardeau, announced a bid for lieutenant governor Tuesday, July 11. Before being elected to the state Senate in 2020, Thompson Rehder, 53, served in the Missouri House from 2013 through 2020. Thompson Rehder was also a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Missouri...
-
Democrat Crystal Quade shows off roller derby skills in Missouri governor campaign launch video (7/10/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade is running for governor, and the Democrat from Springfield made the announcement Sunday in a campaign video featuring her bowling through skaters on a roller derby track. Quade, a social worker first elected to the House in 2016, painted herself as unafraid of rough and rowdy politics while wearing elbow pads, wrist guards and a baby blue helmet. ...
-
Local property manager Dave Soto runs for legislature (6/28/23)Republican Dave Soto, owner of Cape Girardeau's Soto Property Solutions, is running for the state General Assembly, hoping to succeed term-limited Rick Francis in Perryville's District 145. Soto, 67, is a member of Missouri REALTORS and has served on the Perry County Hospital board and on the leadership council of National Federation of Independent Business-Missouri...
-
Attorney general candidate Will Scharf speaks at Delmonico's (6/19/23)Former violent crimes prosecutor and Republican candidate for state attorney general Will Scharf spoke about his intentions and motivation for running for the office at a meeting of SEMO Pachyderm Club on Thursday, June 15...
-
Push to bolster security of key election technology (4/24/23)ATLANTA -- An effort to create a national testing program for technology central to U.S. elections will be launched later this year, aiming to strengthen the security of equipment that has been targeted by foreign governments and provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories...
-
Vivek Malek reports $1.2M haul for Missouri treasurer campaign (4/17/23)Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek reported Friday that his campaign raised $506,000 during the first three months of the year, with an aligned political action committee formed to support his 2024 candidacy raising $700,000. Malek was appointed treasurer in December after his predecessor, Scott Fitzpatrick, was elected auditor. He made it clear he intended to run for a full term next year...
-
Cape Girardeau school board incumbents retain seats (4/5/23)The three incumbents retained their seats on Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education after Tuesday night's, April 4, general municipal election. Jared Ritter was the top vote-getter with 1,874 votes (22.87%), while Casey Cook received 1,706 votes (20.82%) and Missy Phegley claimed the last seat with 1,542 votes (18.82%). Each will serve another three-year term...
-
Both Jackson school propositions fail (4/5/23)Jackson school officials and supporters of two propositions on the Tuesday, April 4, election ballot got none of what they wanted. Proposition I, seeking a $0.47 increase per $100 of assessed valuation for an operating levy centered on teacher salaries, insurance and benefits, required a simple majority for passage. The referendum failed with 2,721 voting "no" and 2,388 voting "yes."...
-
Cape Girardeau County Health Board sees one incumbent retained, another ousted (4/5/23)In a four-way race for two positions on the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center Board of Trustees, incumbent Diane Howard, an attorney, garnered the most votes in the Tuesday, April 4, election, with 4,494. Also winning a seat was newcomer Nancy Johnson, a semi-retired rural health family nurse practitioner, taking 3,846 votes...
-
Cape Girardeau County voters approve of more taxes on marijuana sales (4/5/23)Voters in Cape Girardeau County voted overwhelmingly to approve additional taxes on recreational marijuana sales, both in the county and in the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The tax levy was passed with more than 70% of the vote in each jurisdiction...
-
Farrow reelected, Warren, Pylate also elected to Jackson School Board (4/5/23)Incumbent Greg Farrow finished first in a five-candidate field to win another term on the Jackson Board of Education, according to unofficial results of the Tuesday, April 4, election. Farrow had 3,062 votes. Two others were elected with him -- Christine Warren, with 2,860 votes and Brandon Pylate, the choice of 2,636 voters...
-
Jackson elects new Ward 4 alderman (4/5/23)Shana Williams has upset Tommy Kimbel to take a Ward 4 seat in Jackson in the Tuesday, April 4, election. Unofficial results showed Williams defeated Kimbel by taking 89 of 154 votes cast. Kimbel had served on Jackson's aldermanic council for 12 years and was previously on the municipal police force for two decades...
-
Bollinger County voters approve Proposition 1 for road maintenance (4/5/23)In the municipal election Tuesday, April 4, Bollinger County residents voted in favor of Proposition 1, which will impose a countywide sales tax of one-half of 1% (0.005) for improving county roads and bridges, including, but not limited to, bringing all gravel roads up to minimum standards, extending chat coverage, maintaining crowning and water sheds, purchasing culverts and equipment, and training employees. There were 489 "yes" votes and 351 "no" votes...
-
Sikeston voters approve marijuana sales tax issue; Lindsey wins council seat (4/5/23)SIKESTON, Mo. -- Voters in Sikeston approved the sales tax for recreational marijuana during Tuesday's municipal election. In a vote total of 780 to 259, Sikeston voters approved the 3% tax on sales of adult-use marijuana in Sikeston. There were 687 "yes" votes and 230 "no" votes in Scott County and 93 "yes" votes and 29 "no" votes in New Madrid County...
-
Five run for Jackson school board (4/1/23)A quintet of candidates hopes to fill three, three-year terms on the Jackson Board of Education in the Tuesday, April 4, election. The ballot will have the hopefuls listed in the following order: n Brandon Parker Pylate n Christine Warren n Gregory S. Farrow (incumbent)...
-
Kimbel, Williams compete in Jackson's Ward 4 (4/1/23)Incumbent Fourth Ward Jackson City Alderman Tom Kimbel is seeking reelection to a seventh two-year term and is opposed by challenger Shana Williams in the Tuesday, April 4 election. The Southeast Missourian posed questions to the two hopefuls in the only contested officeholder race in the municipality this cycle. Their responses appear in order of their ballot position...
-
Cape Girardeau County health board hopefuls tout views (3/30/23)A quartet of candidates seek to fill two four-year terms on the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (PHC) Board of Trustees in the Tuesday, April 4, election. n Diane Howard, attorney (incumbent) n Nancy Johnson, semi- retired nurse practitioner...
-
Contested races, tax initiatives on the ballot for Cape, Perry, Scott counties in April elections (3/28/23)The following are contested races and tax initiatives in the upcoming Tuesday, April 4, general municipal election broken down by county. n Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center Board of Trustees (two seats available, four-year terms): *Diane Howard, Nancy K. Johnson, *William Lewis, Richard J. Swartz...
-
Candidates for Cape Giradeau school board double-down on their positions (3/22/23)The five candidates running for three seats on the Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education addressed voters during a forum Monday, March 20. The forum, held at the Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall at Cape Girardeau Central High School, was hosted by the CGPS Community Teacher's Association (CTA)...
-
Teacher pay at core of Jackson School District tax proposal (3/22/23)The Jackson School District is the fastest-growing school district in the region, having added nearly 1,000 students to its rolls in the last decade. However, teacher salaries are slipping in the opposite direction. The district is asking voters to help boost teacher pay and overall operations with two propositions on the Tuesday, April 4, ballot. ...
-
Prop N would fund new performing arts center in Jackson (3/22/23)The old auditorium at Jackson High School was built in 1939. It was built for elementary school children. What that means is that the auditorium wasn't built for those with long legs or a wider posterior. It also wasn't built for people requiring a wheelchair, which is why the city's annual Veterans Day tribute is no longer held there...
-
Jackson puts North Elementary gym in ballot language for Prop N (3/22/23)If Proposition N passes Tuesday, April 4, North Elementary will finally get its new gymnasium. Voters there were disappointed when the school did not get the gym built as part of Proposition J, the district's previous tax initiative. Jackson officials, in their communications prior to that tax initiative, had told voters a gym in that school would be built, but the district ultimately decided just prior to construction that the need for a middle school gymnasium was more urgent...
-
Scott County seeks April 4 renewal of sales tax (3/17/23)Two Scott County commissioners spoke Thursday, March 16, to advocate for voters to renew the county's 0.5% sales tax in a Tuesday, April 4, referendum. The tax, first approved in 2009, is due to expire in 2024 without voter reauthorization next month...
-
Cape Girardeau's school board candidates to address voters (3/15/23)Candidates running for Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education will be addressing voters at a forum at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 20. The event is sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Public Schools Community Teachers' Association (CTA) and will be held in the Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall at Cape Girardeau Central High School located at 1000 S. Silver Springs Road. The forum is open to the public...
-
Missouri voters could restore abortion rights in 2024 (3/10/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri voters could decide whether to restore abortion rights in the state if constitutional amendments made public Thursday make it to the 2024 ballot. The proposals would amend the Missouri Constitution to protect abortion rights and pregnant women, as well as access to birth control...
-
3 GOP states pull out of effort to thwart voter fraud (3/7/23)ST. LOUIS — Three Republican-led states Monday pulled out of a bipartisan effort among states to ensure accurate voter lists, undermining a system with a demonstrated record of combating voter fraud. The moves, encouraged by former President Donald Trump, are the latest indication of how conspiracy theories related to the 2020 presidential outcome continue to ripple throughout the Republican Party and upend long-established traditions in how the country administers elections...
-
Cape Girardeau County health board candidates present views at GOP forum (3/6/23)Two of the four candidates in the Tuesday, April 4, election for Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (PHC) Board of Trustees appeared at a forum Friday, March 3, at Delmonico's Restaurant in Jackson. Challengers Nancy Johnson and Richard Swartz answered questions before a gathering of Cape County Republican Women...
-
Scott County clerk expects higher than average turnout for April election (3/1/23)With the Tuesday, April 4, election just over a month away, Scott County Clerk Allen Seabaugh is predicting 16% of the county's 25,000 registered voters will turn out to cast ballots. "Looking back at previous April elections in the county, the turnout ran between 8% and 12% on the low end. Sixteen percent would be on the higher end historically," Seabaugh said...
-
Barry Hovis' House bill seeks flexibility for absentee ballots (2/28/23)A bill has been introduced by state Rep. Barry Hovis of District 146 in Whitewater with a difficult-to-understand title — "Allows for the curing of absentee ballot envelopes" — but a comprehensible rationale. Hovis, who introduced House Bill 1184 on Feb. ...
-
Three Cape school board candidates address voters (2/21/23)Three candidates for Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education addressed voters Thursday night, Feb. 16, at a gathering of Cape Girardeau County Republicans. All seven candidates running for the three positions up for election were invited to speak at the event, but only three — Missy Phegley, Roy Diamond Jr. and Kim Swartz — accepted the invitation. ...
-
Sample ballot posted for April 4 Cape Girardeau County elections (2/17/23)Contested elections and tax initiative issues populate the Tuesday, April 4, ballot for Cape Girardeau County. Races in which the number of candidates exceed the number of open positions are listed below and as they will appear on the ballot. n Jackson Schools R-2 (three to elect to three-year terms): Brandon Parker Pylate; Christine Warren; Greg Farrow; Bruce W. Thomas; Darcy L. Lilley...
-
Cape Girardeau County GOP chairman looks ahead at Republican presidential field (2/14/23)Matt Henson, Cape Girardeau County Republican Central Committee chairman, said Monday, Feb. 13, the period between now and the GOP's 2024 nominating convention is a "lifetime" in politics. Associates of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have been handing out invitations to a "special Announcement" on Wednesday, Feb. 15...
-
Missouri House OKs raising bar for constitutional amendments (2/2/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Republican-backed proposal to make it harder to amend Missouri's constitution got initial approval from the state House on Wednesday, moving a top GOP priority closer to becoming law. Lawmakers voted 106-50 along party lines in favor of the proposed constitutional amendment...
-
Missouri lawmakers act fast on citizen access to the ballot (1/25/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers moved quickly to pass more restrictions on amending the state Constitution during one of the session's first hearings Tuesday. Republican legislative leaders in the House and Senate have cited cracking down on constitutional amendments as a top priority for the session, arguing it's now too easy to enshrine policies in the constitution...
-
Missouri Attorney General Bailey to run in 2024 (1/25/23)JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Monday officially launched his campaign for a full term in office. Fellow Republican Gov. Mike Parson named Bailey attorney general to replace Eric Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate last year. Bailey previously worked as the top lawyer in Parson's office...
-
First step in zoning changes for legal pot sales approved (1/24/23)Cape Girardeau City Council members voted unanimously at their meeting Monday, Jan. 23, to approve multiple changes to the city's code of ordinances in the wake of the legalization of recreational marijuana in Missouri. It's been more than two months since around 53% of Show Me State voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana by voting "yes" on Amendment 3. The new state law took effect Dec. 8...
-
Jackson places marijuana tax referendum on ballot (1/19/23)Jackson Board of Aldermen members voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 17, to place a 3% recreational marijuana tax referendum on the April 4 ballot. Statewide passage of Amendment 3, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, on Nov. 8 permits counties and municipal governments to impose a tax of not more than 3% on all tangible personal retail sales of what is officially known as "adult use marijuana." The state levy on such sales is 6%...
-
Jackson leaders to vote on marijuana tax (1/17/23)Jackson's Board of Aldermen is expected to vote to approve and place a 3% tax on recreational marijuana on the April general municipal election ballot — according to the provisions authorized by Amendment 3, approved by Missouri voters Nov. 8. Cape Girardeau County and the City of Cape Girardeau are expected to impose an identical levy on adult use, or as Jackson terms it, "non-medical" marijuana...
-
Cape Girardeau County moves closer to a recreational marijuana vote (1/13/23)Cape Girardeau County commissioners are expected to vote Thursday, Jan. 19, to place a 3% recreational marijuana sales tax referendum on the Tuesday, April 4, ballot. During a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 12, in commission chambers in Jackson, County Clerk Kara Clark Summers explained the plebiscite will be known as Proposition 1 and will formally be referred to as "adult use marijuana."...
-
Cape School Board members seeking reelection (12/21/22)Cape Girardeau Board of Education members Missy Phlegley, Jared Ritter and Casey Cook have all filed as candidates for reelection to the school board. Additionally, three other Cape Girardeau residents have decided to run against them. The three-year terms of Phlegley, Ritter and Cook are up at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, and Kim G. Swartz, Roy Diamond Jr. and Sommer Shardee McCauley have all filed to run for the open positions...
-
Dwain Hahs seeks reelection in Jackson, candidacy filing opens (12/8/22)Mayor Dwain Hahs will ask Jackson voters for another two years in office in the Tuesday, April 4, municipal election. Hahs, 70, filed the necessary paperwork Wednesday, Dec. 7, to run again for the mayoral seat originally won when the former Bausch & Lomb executive defeated then-incumbent Barbara Lohr in 2015...